Severus and his bike?
by hollance
Summary: The butterfly effect- what if Severus found a bike one day... would it make him follow a different path? Or would he ultimately end up in the same position?
1. Chapter 1

Mam and Pa never really did mind where I went, as long as I wasn't underfoot. When I was little, about four or so I used to hang around the street, sometimes playing with the other kids, but more often than not legging it from the bigger ones who mocked me for mam being posh and tried to push me around to show how hard they were. I remember once I was trying not to cry after getting a split lip from one of the other lads after I got into a fight over him saying mam was all fur coat and no knickers. I didn't know what it meant but I knew it wasn't nice. I told Pa and he just said the other lad was right about mam. But then he ruffled my hair and gave me a few pence. I was confused by that until I got older.

That's how I found the park. I was running away from some of the older kids. I didn't know where I was going until I catapulted into a bush and hid until they got bored of looking. The park was in the posher end of town, about a mile or so away from where I lived. Instead of mocking me Mam the kids in the park mocked me for being poor and wearing hand-me-downs. So I ended up wondering further and further away from home- going down all the jitties and back roads, up the overgrown paths and on the towpath by the canal. As long as I was home by three Mam didn't mind and Pa never knew.

One day doing this I found an old battered bike by the towpath. It was an adult one and I was only eight, got a few thorns in my hand trying to free it from the brambles, and I almost fell into the canal when I pulled it away. Got myself trapped under it and a bloke from a nearby barge had to lift it off me. I couldn't ride it by the canal so I pushed it the two miles back. I got laughed at a bit, which made me feel embarrassed and angry, but I kept going and a few of the people who had been laughing helped me… that confused me too… the kids in the park and the street had laughed at me but never helped me. I had a bit of an epiphany then. Got belted when I got home and Pa saw the bike until I convinced him I hadn't nicked it. He even went to the canal to confirm what I said, my arm nearly dislocated with the speed he dragged me. Mam wanted to bin "that muggle contraption"… I think that was why he let me keep it… Said I had to get it working again and then he would teach me to ride it.

I was surprised he kept his word, but then Pa detested liars. He even brought a bike so we could go one rides together. It was the start of a new era in the Snape household… Pa stopped going to the pub and I made a few friends with other local lads who had bikes. Because Pa stopped going to the pub and spending his wage we were able to afford nicer clothes and better food so people didn't judge us as much. I became less runty and the extra food and exersize gave me a stockier look. Mam… well she just withdrew… tried telling me more about Hogwarts and the magical world but I wasn't fascinated by it as I had been before… I didn't need an escape now.

I met a girl called Lily by the park one day. Saw her do a bit of magic and went to talk to her. She had a fiery temper on her. Went off in a huff the first time I told her she was a witch. She was always like that to be honest, too quick to take offence and go on the attack without understanding all the facts. It was her way or no way even then.


	2. Chapter 2- Arguments

The first real argument we had was caused by the bike actually, in a roundabout way. I hadn't known Lily very long, only a few months, not even that really as we went to different primary schools. Lily had a bike, of course. All this kids at the "better" end of town did. A few of the other lads down my street wanted to go exploring up the well-to-do bit. I went there quite often because of Lily, and as a result knew the surrounding area fairly well. This gave me some sort of kudos among the older lads and I got roped into being the guide. Not many of us could afford bikes, most were begged and borrowed or "found", so we ended up going in twos, with one lad sitting on the saddle, and the other standing and riding the bike. It was fairly common to see that round our way. The only difficulty was if there was a little lad in front and a big chap behind. We had great fun laughing at the turned up noses we got from the snobs as we sped by. If anything we whooped and jeered more because of it.

I was showing them the park when Lily saw us. She made this kind of beckoning motion with her hand to me, as if the other lads were blind! I went to her, my smile gradually fading. I was proud to be-able to show the kids in the street something fun and here she was acting like I'd broken some sort of sacred rule by bringing children from the "dodgy" end of town to the park. She was righteous in her anger – why had I brought the others here, didn't I know they were dirty, poor, thieves, that had most likely stolen the bikes they were riding… I should have took the hint there and then and just cut her off but I didn't. I explained that they weren't bad kids. That they were just like me. She threw that back in my face by saying how they had picked on me before I found my bike. I didn't know what to say to that. It was true, well, partly! Some of the kids in the group had picked on me before. Looking back at it were we all partially to blame. Them for assuming I was stuck up because of Mam and me for replying to their taunts by acting stuck up and taunting them with being common. After getting to know them better, through biking and footie most of the hatchets had been buried and for the most part we got on. Enough to play games and stuff together, even if I wasn't particularly close to any of them. I just stood there… mute...for ages. She got on her bike and went home saying if I wanted to apologise she would be at the park tomorrow. I stood for ages, just staring at the spot she had been at in confusion. Eventually one of the other lads came up to me and I finished half-heartedly showing them round.

I went to the park the next day and apologised. I picked flowers from the road side and people's gardens to give to her. She frowned a bit when I gave her the flowers, likely guessing they had mostly been at the cost of someone's' garden. She accepted after some grovelling from my part. Even when I was saying sorry I felt conflicted. Lily was important to me, she was the first magical person I had met, the first person who didn't scorn me for being a wizard, who listened with open fascination to the magical knowledge I had garnered from Mam. On the other hand, I hadn't done anything wrong, and her assumptions about the others from my street had me wondering. If she thought that about them… what did she think about me?

I spoke to Pa a bit about that, I tried to be subtle, but he wasn't thick and I only had one friend who was from "that end". Pa's advice was either to stop being friends (which was his preferred choice by the phrases he used) or to try and get her to make friends with some lads in the street. oddly enough, for all that he was openly sneering of Lily he was the one who suggested going on bike rides with her and some of the local lads who were a bit more well off and a bit less prejudiced as a result.

So I did. It took me some time to convince Lily, I don't quite know why she was so reluctant. Scared I imagine, her parents had probably warned her away from our end of town with horror stories of spinners end, and she was worried what her 'nice' friends from the 'nice' part of town would think. Anyway, I got her to come with the promise that we wouldn't go into her end of the town, mainly following the bridal paths by the canal, which were by the Mill (firmly in our territory).

Me, Lily, Terry and Jim ended up cycling round the canals round the mill. I loved it. It was the first piece of real comradery and friendship I had ever felt. Terry and Jim were from the nicer part of Spinner's end (if there was one), with parents who always had jobs in a different part of Manchester and hadn't really known the area when they moved. As a result Lily was less reticent and actually semi-friendly to them. She still preferred it when it was just us, and she could ask about Hogwarts and magic. Terry and Jim became real friends to me, not just mates. We used to go on frequent adventures on our bikes, if you could call being chased off a local farm by an irate farmer an adventure. Jim couldn't go out for ages after. He'd got bitten on his ankle by the collie and his Mum and Dad stopped him from going out with us for a bit. For all that Jim and Terry were better off than most of the folks in our street they were good at getting into mischief, our favourite pastime was sneaking out at night and moving the barges that were tied down to a different mooring. If was right funny watching the drunks stagger into someone else's boat and then being chased out by angry wives in their nighties. Being round more boys increased my social radar and I became more aware of how to joke about and other little social nuances that were surprisingly important. I also learnt how to burp the alphabet and climb (important social attributes when your nine and a half)! I liked finding hiding places anyway, but Jim taught me how to climb up almost anything- even if it didn't have obvious handholds.

Lily joined us on the adventures sometimes, but we always had to tame them a bit. She used to get on her high horse and didn't hesitate to tell us when we were trespassing or that nicking apples was wrong. Admittedly when I brought something home I knew I shouldn't have I always told Pa I had asked permission from the farmer or that the apples were over a tow-path or something. He saw through it more often than not and I got a thrashing but then we still got to eat whatever I had brought back so I felt the payoff was worth it.

Eventually, when I was about 10 a farmer caught me red-handed. Jim had dared me to jump-start the tractor (I didn't even know if it was possible), but not wanting to be called a wuss or other worse names I did it with a false sense of bravado. I thought I'd just get a smacking and sent home but the farmer must have thought I might sent an example to the other lads (He couldn't have though I was in danger of actually starting the tractor and driving off with it as my feet didn't even get close to the peddles) because he dragged me home rather unceremoniously. Unluckily Pa was in. I didn't half get a beating when the door was shut. Had to eat standing for three days!

After about two weeks of skulking round the house (punishment), Pa told me to get my coat and bike. I half feared he had got fed up of me and was giving me away as we rode further and further away from home. Eventually we turned off into a farm and Pa introduced me to the owner. Apparently I would be helping out twice a week after school and on a Saturday. Later on as we were riding back Pa said this would keep me out of any mischief and that I would get paid for any job I did and did well. That answered my most important questions so I just concentrated on keeping up with Pa after that.

As I got into my new routine I grew to like it. The outside work was fun for the most part and I could generally regale friends with funny stories which made me more popular at our local primary school. The older lads who worked at the farm used to include me, although their talk about girls often went above my head or made me blush and stutter. They patiently showed me how machinery worked or corrected how I was holding things with a laugh and a smile to take the sting out of it. The work gave me more knowledge about the muggle world and the inventions made me stand in awe, a feeling that I had previously only felt for things in the magical world. Sometimes if I had done a very good job I used to get food as well as money in payment. Surprisingly Pa let me keep the money, unless Mam was really struggling to make ends meet, but that wasn't as often anymore.

The hard physical work gave me muscle and I started to win more play fights than I lost. Pa and I became closer as I went to him if I had questions about how the farm machinery worked or why things were done if I felt too embarrassed to ask the other lads. He also took the time to explain a few facts of life. I learnt a bit more about other muggle professions that didn't have a wizard equivalent, and finally saw the point of more of the seemingly random lessons at school (like woodwork… I enjoyed it but what was the point when I knew I could use my wand to do it in half the time!).

Life was quite settled. In the summer holidays I split my time between Jim, Terry and Lily and the Farm, helping with the harvest to get some extra pocket-money.

I wasn't at home when my Hogwarts letter came.


	3. Chapter 3- Quandry

It was quite odd really. Even as recently as a year ago I would have thought obsessively about the letter, but I had for the most part forgotten about it. I'd been caught up in everyone else's talk about the local secondary school. I'd even gone to the open day. Terry, Jim and I had started planning out the route to school. I don't think I quite believed I would get my letter any more, I hadn't had an under-age outburst of magic for years and Lily had already received her letter months ago.

I just recall walking into complete silence. It was that sort of odd tense silence, the kind you get when someone's died. Mam was sitting at the kitchen table with a sort of defiant cowed look on her face. Pa was stood at the door with a crumpled piece of parchment in his fist, face like thunder. I just got stared at by the both of them as I walked in. I remember the feeling of having my whole world being pulled out from under me. I hadn't a clue how to act. Although Pa and I were getting on well and had been for a few years now it was with the unspoken agreement that I didn't mention any "magic crap", and had all been on the basis of my new-found interest in "normal boy activities".

I remember swearing and Pa clipping me round the ear and saying "mind ya tongue", and somehow I got from the doorway sat at the kitchen table opposite Mam but I don't remember how. After that it's a bit of a blur. It was a relief that they seemed to want to actually talk about it and not just have a shouting match or kick me out (or about). Pa didn't believe Mam that if I didn't go it could be dangerous and after asking me if I wanted to go (I gave a vague answer, possibly I just shrugged) Pa sent off a reply to the impatiently waiting owl at the window to the effect of _will he accidentally blow people up if he doesn't come._

My God it was a tense wait, and it ended in the form of Professor McGonagall knocking on the door the next day. In the meantime we had all been trying to find stuff to pretend to do to keep us busy and ended up just shouting at each other. I don't think we made the best impression. I had finally snapped at the tense situation and it ended by Pa boxing my ears. I didn't feel the need to be particularly quiet so she definitely heard my yelling from the front door. It was quite comical how we all suddenly froze at the loud _rat tat tat_, and then pretended we hadn't been beating each other up moments before when we opened the door.

Professor McGonagall seemed surprised that Pa didn't believe Mam, and was obviously curious at the living situation (recalling Mam as a student), although she didn't say anything. I just sat slightly sullenly at the table wondering if the nice status quo was destroyed, if there was a chance of redeeming it, and what I'd have to do to make that happen. In that moment I could have cheerfully wished my magic away. McGonagall's answer was basically yes there was a possibility of me killing people if I got angry enough and wasn't trained to channel my magic properly so there wasn't really a choice, unless they bound my magic but that had its own risks and hadn't been done in over 40 years. Pa was silent for ages. He must have seen something on my face because his expression changed from hard to sympathetic. Not by much but just enough to give me hope that we wouldn't revert back to how it was before I was eight.

Mam, of course, was oblivious to Pa's growing tension and started wittering on about how I had to be in Slytherin to restore the family honour or some such bollocks. I ended up shouting at her to shut up and stormed out the back door, neatly ducking Pa's outstretched hand. I didn't really have any intent but I just couldn't stand it in the house any more. I couldn't really go to Terry or Jim's because there was too much I couldn't explain, so I went to Lily's house.

She was thrilled I got my letter and didn't really understand the problem. I didn't want to give too much away about my past home life and just how horrible it had been, so it was difficult to explain just how much of an issue this was. I didn't want the pity, and on some level I felt she just wouldn't understand. She had only ever known a happy home and to her anything other than that was weird and wrong. She also didn't really let me stay very long because I made Petunia feel uncomfortable, and her Mum and Dad kept giving me looks.

I ended up at the farm I worked at. Mrs Wight (the farmer's wife) took one look at me and sat me down with a mug of tea. Turned out she was very good at wrangling information out of reluctant boys. I shouldn't have been surprised as she had five lads of her own, two of whom worked with me on the farm. By the end I had told her all about how Pa treated me and Mam before I found the bike and how everything had changed afterwards. How Mam wanted me to go to this special boarding school in Scotland and how Pa resented her for it. I think I made out it was a nobby school as everyone knew Mam was upper-class and had married down. I told her about how happy I had been and how I didn't want anything to change between me and Pa but wanted to please Mam too. In the end she rang Pa to tell him where I was and that I'd be sleeping at there's for the night. She gently steered me towards to sofa, ignoring the tears streaming down my face, as I mopped them up with her hanky that she had passed me moments before. I just remember her patting my face and saying "_we'll sort it out, it'll all be better in the morning"_ as I snuggled into the blankets and pillow, wishing I could disappear.

It turned out she was very good at giving sound advice. In the morning I woke to the smell of cooking bacon and another mug of tea being thrust in my face by Jack, her youngest who was a few years below me at school. After finishing of a cooked breakfast (with second helpings! unheard of in our household!) she got out a piece of paper and listed all the problems simply, one by one. Then she drew a line down the middle and asked what we were going to do about each. It is a method I use to this day when the problem just seems overwhelming.

She figured that Pa was probably worried I would get all snobby and stuck up and was worried about me not being interested in the "normal" things I had been doing. (I couldn't tell her about me being a wizard but this still seemed to be a valid conclusion.) So, I would go back and ask Pa if I could take my bike and football to school (demonstrating that I wanted to continue with "normal" activities) and ask his advice on what to take, how to act, etc (showing I valued his opinion).

She also said that I could talk with Mam about the school and show some interest in her opinions. She also pointed out that Mam wasn't at the school and would, for the most part, only know what I told her, so I wouldn't actually have to carry out her advice.

Mrs Wight also suggested I ask Pa for permission to ask Mam the questions so that he would still feel in control.

I duly went back and did the above. Pa blatantly knew Mrs Wight had mediated but seemed happy enough, although he was still put out I was a wizard he said he hoped I would complete my magical education and then just live a normal life. He was happy I wanted to take my bike and football, even going as far to ask if I wanted a new bike (I still had the one from when I was eight, lovingly repaired and painted bright blue). Prof. McGonagall had said that there were lots of muggle-borns and half bloods at Hogwarts so I think he hoped I would still grow up relatively "normal" and just be able to ignore my magic.

Mam was just happy I was going to Hogwarts, and decided that I suddenly needed elocution lessons (I had a very strong Mancunian accent but even I knew at the age of eleven that this wasn't going to be cured in a few weeks). Luckily Pa seemed to take the view that he would just ignore whatever he didn't agree with and talk about the bits that mattered or that he was bothered about (like how would I keep up with the footie scores).

Going to Diagon Alley for school supplies was another matter entirely. And one that I wasn't looking forward to. Mam and Pa seemed to be under the impression that if I went with one parent I might be suddenly successfully indoctrinated to their viewpoint, and as a result were determined we all go.

Mam and Pa in the magical world together just couldn't end well!


	4. Chapter 4- The Alley

I was filled with dread as we approached the alley. Mam and Pa were already sniping at each other by the time the train pulled into London. Luckily being on public transport kept it to a minimum, but I was still cringing and bright red with embarrassment at every veiled comment.

It was an odd entourage that entered the pub, one parent either side of me, each with a hand on my shoulder. The pub seemed to make a good first impression on Pa, mainly because it was too gloomy to see anything but also because it looked like a normal pub inside. Even Mam had the good sense to steer him out of it before he saw that objects were moving by themselves. He muttered about the entrance to the alley, and wasn't impressed by the "portal thing". To be honest neither was I, as I was too focused on getting in and out as peacefully as possible and every magical event that should have inspired me resulted in a muttered prayer to any deity that might be listening and take pity. I don't really know what I expected them to do… maybe make Pa suddenly blind and deaf? It was a difficult trip. On the one hand I couldn't show too much interest because of Pa and on the other I had to show some enthusiasm for Mam. I oscillated between barely suppressed panic and barely suppressed exhilaration.

Mam and Pa must have sat down together and organised what they needed to get from where and approximate cost as well as what items we would get from "normal" shops because we sped through the alley. Although even Pa was a bit fascinated by the alchemy kit in the supply store, it resulted in him saying he would teach me some chemistry when we got home (not taught until secondary school, well, not properly). Pa let me linger in the second-hand bookshop while Mam hunted through the stacks for books on wizard etiquette and laws, insisting they were essential. Pa even let me buy up a history book on Merlin with my pocket-money. For the books that were too out of date or that we just couldn't find (arithmancy, transfiguration and care of magical creatures) I ended up getting new ones, even though Mam and Pa winced at the cost.

The robes and outfits were another matter entirely and if I hadn't had to get my wand I think we would have left there and then. I was only getting outer robes and ties as Pa felt we could get the other stuff cheaper from the markets at home. As far as he was concerned a shirt was a shirt regardless of where you brought it. Mam had tried to push getting me jumpers as well but Pa had taken one look at the cost and said he wasn't paying twice as much as at home when it only had a little coloured band at the bottom. He said if I was that fussed a teacher could probably "wave it on" if I asked. He had a point. Although he could have sneered less. Of course this "talk" got a bit loud and a few of the kids openly smirked at me. Having learnt that hiding from the obvious made it worse I just tried to stand tall and look unconcerned, despite the sinking feeling in my stomach and the desire to hide behind my hair.

And then we went to Olivanders to get my wand. Everyone remembers their first wand. As we approached I could see Pa tense up, and I recall his grip on my arm left a bruise for a few days after. I think even Olivander could see Pa was at breaking point because he didn't give us the speech that I later found out was fairly typical, about the wand finding the wizard. Instead he was surprisingly serious and quick in his dealings. That feeling of ecstasy and fulfilment, of being so completely at one with your magic is something I have only experienced a few times since and left me fairly numb and unresponsive for a few minutes. Mam looked bemused and proud and Olivander distracted Pa by going over some of the laws and important things to know about "this world". This, oddly enough, resulted in another trip to the bookstore, this time spearheaded by Pa.

The trip home was made more or less in silence. We were all bloody exhausted when we got home. I took the stuff into my room and just crashed out onto my bed into blissful sleep, not even bothering to undress and get under the covers.

It was a bit surreal the next morning waking up to find a pile of oddments including a cauldron, telescope, and archaic boxes that looked as though they had come straight out of Sherlock Holmes novel, or from the set of a Shakespeare play, Macbeth maybe.

I recall just gazing at them in disbelief and then falling off my bed at a cough from Mam. She had come up to remind me to get washed and up to go to the market for the other items on the list. I must admit that bit was quite fun. Mam didn't come, saying she wanted to try to find her trunk from when she went to Hogwarts for me to take, so it was just me and Pa. It was fantastic, almost like the last few days hadn't happened and we were just shopping for the ordinary secondary school. Pa was good at bantering and getting good prices so I ended up with a good amount of shirts, undies, trousers and jumpers that fit well even if they weren't all the same colour. Pa let me get a fancy wooden fountain pen (he was adamant I wouldn't have a "poncy feather"), with a load of ink cartridges. We also ended up getting a side rule, conversion charts and the like that Pa thought I might need since calculators wouldn't work. He ended up getting me some A4 paper- luckily we found some plain and Pa said he'd make up a piece of paper with lines that would show up behind so my writing would be neat, and some folders to put it in. I felt quite grown up! Pa also let me buy some sweets with my pocket-money and even brought me a new book bag, something that only the folks up at the nicer end of town ever bothered with usually.

Normally we would have just left the market after getting what we needed but I think Pa must have had a sentimental moment or maybe he just wanted to make sure I listened to him because he took me to the local pub and brought me half a shandy! I remember sitting there proudly kicking my legs against the bar stool I'd been lifted on as Pa stood next to me with his pint talking about what I thought it would be like and what I felt I wanted to do when I was there, and afterwards when I finished school (as if I knew any more than him regarding wizarding professions). It stumped me a bit to be honest. I hadn't really thought about magic or Hogwarts much after I stopped viewing it as an escape. But then I though back to how impressed he had been with the alchemy apparatus and how he compared it to chemistry (which was "normal" and therefore approved of) and said that I wanted to learn how to make potions, since that was the equivalent of chemistry, and invent my own to sell to people, or invent new potions like a scientist (I think I may have compared myself to Robert Boyle rather pompously.)

Pa seemed pleased enough with my answer and smiled more when I craftily brought a beginners chemistry set with my hard-earned and well guarded pocket-money. He seemed to take that as a sign that I might have a decent normal profession at the end of it that he could actually tell people about, that fit in with the "posh boarding school" half truth we had concocted as a family.

All in all it was a nice day. Pa didn't even get too snarky at Mam when she brought out this archaic but obviously expensive trunk into the living room. He even joined in with putting all my new stuff in it (bar the uniform I would need on the day), and borrowed a neighbours drill to put some wheels on it. The only thing left to do was trawl through the Muggle Guide to the Magical World book and the laws and basic systems and suffer through Mam's efforts to make me sound less common (which resulted in Pa getting annoyed and either me or Mam getting hit).


	5. Chapter 5- Friends and fallouts

It surprised me when Pa accompanied me and Ma to Cokeworth station. We had to get the train from there to Kings Cross. He didn't say anything; just put his coat on at the same time we did and grabbed my trunk, gesturing for me to take my bike. I was glad as earlier that morning he had boxed my ears for being too loud in the back alley, disrupting his hangover from last night's pub session which had lasted longer than normal. I had been kicking a ball about trying to make time pass faster and to try and forget about the feeling in my chest after the hasty goodbyes to Jim and Terry since they had left for their first day of school that morning. I had been clutching the penknife they had hurriedly pressed into my hand half an hour before in my pocket, fearful that if I let go it might disappear.

The train ride was about two hours from Cokeworth to London, but it seemed to pass in a bit of a daze, first going too slowly and then too fast. Pa and Mam didn't say much. I think Mam didn't want to cause a scene on the train by saying the wrong thing and Pa just didn't know what to say most likely. Pa had been surprisingly nice about the whole magic and Hogwarts thing, but I could sense tension bubbling under the surface. I didn't question it too much and to this day I don't know why or how he was so tolerant of something that he had been so prejudiced against before. Perhaps because he recognised my effort to be "normal" and that this was largely out of my control, or maybe he found it harder to mock and scorn me now he had gotten to know me and having many of the same interests. I certainly was no longer dismissive of his opinion as I had been before, and held him in far more respect. Although even saying that,I didn't like to think what Pa might do to Mam when they got home, and I was too much of a realist to think there wouldn't be any repercussions. So instead I just clutched Mams hand in-between us under my coat so no one could see, bowing my head as a treacherous tear escaped. I was leaving the world I had just got used to, just as I felt I was truly being accepted.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

Pa wouldn't come through to platform 9 ¾ gruffly saying he didn't want to get stuck with all the hocus pocus but he pulled me aside and pressed something papery and heavy into the free hand I had left. He just held my chin as I muttered an equally gruff thanks, giving me a hard look. I'll forever remember the words he said afterwards, mainly because I found them so confusing I couldn't help bit ponder over them _"You be honest about us lad, you be honest about us and remember where you come from"._ I didn't have the chance to ask what he meant by _us,_ as the way he said it didn't seem to include Mam, and how could I forget home? But he shoved me towards Mam before I could ask.

Mam just looked hesitant and a bit nostalgic as we got through the barrier. The first port of call was to put my luggage and bike in the luggage had already expressed deep displeasure at me bringing my bike but I had scoured the rule book with Pa and hadn't found anything against bringing my bike to Hogwarts, and Mam had said that the grounds were extensive. In the end Pa had overruled Mam's concerns and just said that if I got shunned because of a "poxy bike" then wizards were a "no-good lot". I wouldn't even let her shrink it as I was afraid it would break the mechanism. We got a few odd looks but I wasn't about to leave behind the one thing I treasured above everything else. I was fairly confident about putting it with the luggage as I had plastered it with loads of labels with my name just to make sure it found me at Hogwarts, even if it was in bits, I was well-practiced with putting it back together.

No one approached me or Mam on the platform. Most were too busy saying their own goodbyes, and the few that I noticed giving us looks seemed very aloof. Mind you by their clothes they were upper-class and I knew Mam had been pretty much cut off from her circle of so-called friends after marrying Pa, so neither of us expected a warm welcome from them. Mam didn't seem to know whether to hug me or just let me go, and I just stood there waiting for her to make her mind up, jigging impatiently on the spot as I wanted to find the only other person I knew in the magical world. Eventually she just put her hand on my arm and reminded me to put any letters in the muggle postal system and to try to be in Slytherin house. She said the last bit in an urgent tone and I remember being struck by how much it seemed to matter to her. More fool me. I should have remembered that her friends had shunned her for marrying a muggle, it might have made me wonder what life would be like for a half-blood!

When I found Lily she asked me what house I wanted to be in and I said that Mam wanted me to be in Slytherin so probably there. It was a significant moment because at the word Slytherin two boys about our age walked in and plonked themselves down beside us. Their subsequent assumption and dislike set the tone for our interactions for the next seven years at Hogwarts.

After Lily ejected the other lads from the carriage, something which cemented their dislike for me, although I didn't instigate the impromptu dismissal and if left to me would have let them stay to hopefully amend their theory that I was suddenly the source of all evil and about to sully the reputation of any I met (but especially Lily, who to them became the pure maiden who needed saving from being contaminated by the likes of me).

We ended up having a bit of an argument on the train ride. Lily was telling me of how her sister had called her a freak and how she was upset that Tuney wasn't talking to her. I tried to be comforting, I really did, but apparently saying _you'll be better off without her if she can't accept what you are_ was mean. So she went into a huff and sulked in her seat, which gave me time to look at whatever Pa had pressed into my hand before. It also had the added bonus of getting Lily out of her sulk without me having to apologise. She never could resist a curiosity.

At first I thought it was something wrapped in paper, but then I realised it was a letter folded over something heavy. I was stumped and had to be careful not to rip the letter as I unfolded it from whatever was underneath. The letter eventually came away revealing Pa's silver pocket watch that he had been given by his father and his father before him. As I opened the cover a little note with three words slid out- _look after this_. I didn't need to imagine the _or else_ that floated in the ether next to it. I could fully imagine what would happen to me if I lost it.

Lily gave me time to compose myself and look at the letter by taking the watch out of my slack hand to coo over. I hastily shoved the scrap of paper in my pocket and turned my attention to the dog eared bit of notepaper. It was short and to the point, much like Pa.

_Severus,_

_I don't like magic, but it seems I've got no choice but to watch you grow up to be one of them. But mind my words...remember what you are and where you come from else you won't be welcome back. _

_I know your Mam's a witch but you've grown up without any knowledge of their world so you might not know some things that you should. They look down on us "muggles" as they call folk like me, Jim and Terry. Which, my lad, is to all intents and purposes, what you are._

_The real reason your Mam's family abandoned her and you isn't because she married down, it was because she married a muggle. Seems there was a war on at the same time we had ours, except their Hitler, Grindelwald he was called, wanted to enslave us muggles. Your Mam's family didn't support this view but were pressured into disowning her anyway when she married me so they could keep their social status._

_You're a working class lad Severus, you just remember that. I don't mean you can't aim to have a good job and be a scientist or a chemist. Just don't try and be a toff. You're not one, and they'll know it. You'll make a fool of yourself if you try. _

_Make be proud boy and be yourself._

_Pa_

I sat clutching it for a while, thinking it over. Luckily I had about 5 hours to do just that. In the end I decided I would still try to be in Slytherin. It would make Mam happy and surely there couldn't be that much difference between the houses as those two louts from before had made me think. At primary school we were sorted into houses by colours, but it didn't really mean anything apart from at sports day when you supported your team. I decided I would just be honest about who I was and where I came from, and if they didn't like it I could ask to move house. With that sorted in my mind I proceeded to wrestle my watch away from Lily who was fascinated by it, and talk about nonsense, magic and hopes.

After an hour or two,people started to filter into the cabin. Seemed most of the firsties like us were trying to get to know as many people as possible. With that in mind, Lily and I decided to go on the prowl. It was through this that I met Frank Longbottom and Jack Higgs, Frank was trying to explain Quidditch to Jack, who was comparing it to football, and got drawn into the conversation. Frank was very bemused by my insisting Man U beat Sheffield United hands down, and was surprised at how big footie was when I explained it rivalled Quiddich with leagues and the world cup. Sam was bemoaning the lack of football until I mentioned I had brought mine so we could still find somewhere to play even if there wasn't a proper field with goals. Lily, being uninterested in footie, started talking to some girls nearby, one of whom was Mary MacDonald. Naturally conversation turned from footie to all our backgrounds and then onto Hogwarts and what we expected, and eventually what House we wanted to be in. Frank said he had would probably go in Gryffindor or Hufflepuff, Lily said she just wanted to get in anywhere, and had secretly confessed she dreaded being told they had made a mistake and she had to go back home. Jack, like me wanted to live up to family expectation and go into Slytherin. Mary MacDonald felt Ravenclaw suited her best.

Sadly we were too avid in our talk to notice the two lads from earlier, who we later identified as James Potter and Sirius Black, to pre-empt the ensuing confrontation. Our standing on the platform in Hogsmead station,in front of Professor McGonagall, looking contrite with our mussed up clothing and split lips with Prefects holding us by our collars was not a good way to impress. Of course Potter and Black (we never were on first name basis), started shouting how it wasn't their fault. Our indignant looks were enough for McGonagall to disbelieve what they said and promptly look askance at one of the prefects who gave an accurate account of what had really happened, by coincidence they had been passing towards the tail end of the conversation. Potter and Black got minus 10 points each from their future house for being antagonistic and a dressing down.

We were all astounded by how majestic Hogwarts looked as we approached it. The lake ride was oddly tranquil compared to the heightened excitement we were all feeling. It was an odd sensation gliding across the lake towards an underground cave, like some sort of mysterious initiation ceremony. As we waited, making shapes with our breath, Professor McGonagall made the speech about your house being like your family. It did briefly make me wonder if it meant more than I thought but after a quick glance and smile at Jack I felt comforted that I wouldn't be the only half-blood in Slytherin.

Seeing a raggedy hat on a stool was an odd anti-climax to our speculation as to how we would be sorted. I lost my bet to Frank that it would be random. We were sorted in alphabetical order, there were more first years but the one's I had a vested interest in were those I had met. The hat seemed to take its time over Black, it was quite funny seeing his lips moving, he got into Gryffindor, as did Lily (she took almost no time at all to sort). I was trembling when Jack got sorted, but luckily he got into Slytherin. Frank looked surprised to be walking towards the Ravenclaw table. Mary and Potter both got sorted into Gryffindor.

And then there was me... unluckily my surname is right at the end of the alphabet, so I was painfully obvious not only that I had no-one to hide behind but also that the other students were getting hungry and I felt like I was holding up proceedings. Which was an irrational thought but there you go!

I barely heard my name, despite listening out for it. The stool seemed rickety when I sat on it, and I was glad when the hat covered my eyes. Go the shock of my life when it spoke in my head! I remember having a conversation with it, but I couldn't remember the details after the adrenalin had worn off 10 minutes later, let alone now. I do recall it wanted to put me in Ravenclaw as oppose to Slytherin, although admittedly it said I could do well in both but that Ravenclaw would be safer for me. I do remember feeling a bit peeved that the hat couldn't give me more than that cryptic message before shouting out my house. You would have thought a telepathic hat centuries old could have thought up ways to make simple statements clearer than that.

And with that I walked over to Slytherin table to sit by Jack.


	6. Chapter 6- Slytherin House

Jack and I shared excited and apprehensive looks as we were led to the dungeons by the Head Boy who was called Lucius Malfoy. Compared to the other tables, the feast had been quiet and refrained, with students quietly catching up and exchanging stories. Jack and I had introduced ourselves to the rest of the first years who had got sorted. It turned out that a lot of the other firsties had known each other since childhood. They were curious about us, particularly the muggle world we grew up in, and we, in turn, listened in rapt attention about their childhoods and experiences before Hogwarts. It seemed that all the others had grown up in magical households. A few of them were toffs- the children of Lords and Ladies and the like, and a small number of these called themselves Purebloods. Although they weren't as standoffish as I expected they still wrinkled their noses at hearing Pa worked at a mill, just like the snobs from the posh end of town where Lily lived.

The Slytherin common room made me stand in awe, and I was certain I heard a gasp from Jack who was next to me. It was decadent and opulent and breath-taking. The stone walls were hung with rich tapestries depicting a woodland scene. Deep green sofas and chairs were scattered around with tables and benches. One table had what looked to be a wireless on it, although it was different to any wireless I had ever seen. In fact odd objects whose uses defied my imagination were scattered all around the room. Torches flickered in their brackets and the massive inglenook fireplace had a roaring fire going giving the room a cosy feel to it.

Lucius went through the house rules and gave us our timetables and map. We were also given a piece of chalk, so we would have no excuse if we got lost when we went exploring. Everyone had a different colour florescent piece so you wouldn't accidentally follow someone else's path by mistake or keep going in a circle. Apparently there was a system in place for the first week of school where we would be escorted to classes and meals and such by the seventh years so we would learn our way around. The dormitories were huge, with massive four-poster beds draped with thick green curtains. By each bed was a cabinet, some shelves and a chest of draws. In the middle of the room was an archaic heater powered by coal and wood, with a metal guard around it that rattled and squeaked. I remember thinking it looked as though it was going to break down any minute.

We didn't get to choose where we slept, as our trunks had already been placed by our beds. We were told to unpack and then get to bed. Light out was at nine. I recall feeling very odd as I opened my battered trunk and slowly got out the contents, thinking about where I wanted to put everything. I was dumbstruck by the thought that I would be here in this room, sleeping in this bed for seven years. My football got some queer looks from Mulciber and Avery (two other boys in the dorm), but no one else batted an eyelid to which I was grateful and Jack reminded me of my promise that we would find somewhere to play.

Several of us sat on Jacks bed after packing telling stories to distract ourselves from homesickness. It worked to a greater or lesser extent. I was keen to make a good impression and was just glad that I seemed to get on with the others after my disastrous run in with Potter and Black. I was relieved to be able to hold my own in conversation. I noticed that when I was too quiet Jack would ask me a question or look to me to say something. We all scrambled into our beds at a shouted warning that the lights would be doused. As I settled into the covers which were unbelievably soft and blatantly new, I remember clutching my penknife and hoping that tomorrow went well. Breathing deeply to expel the anxious fluttering in my stomach I cocooned myself into the eider-down and drifted off.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

I recall the rude awakening I got and the utter disorientation I experienced when Jack threw his pillow at me the next morning. I remember briefly being astounded at how a guttersnipe from Spinner's End found himself sleeping in a castle, in a four-poster bed like a little lordling, but the penknife I withdrew from under my pillow assured me it was all real.

It was odd getting showered with other boys from the dorm coming and going. There were small partitions which came up to your neck (as an eleven year old- more mid torso when older) in between the shower heads but it really wasn't that private. It was a while before I got used to what I needed to take in with me, and for the first month or two I was forever backtracking to collect toothbrush, comb, and embarrassingly, my towel, on one particularly awkward and embarrassing morning.

After proudly knotting my tie the way Pa had shown me, grabbing my pristine satchel filled with my books and my wand, which felt warm and comforting in my hand. I hurriedly followed Lucius from the common to the hall for breakfast along with the other lads, about eight of us all together. It was like a line of little ducklings following the mother duck. It didn't go unnoticed by me that Slytherin was the only house that did this in such a formal way. Ravenclaw was the only other house that had some sort of mentoring system in place for the first week, but even that was more ad hoc and depended on the prefect in charge and how dedicated they felt on a given morning. The houses tended to sit together for breakfast and dinner but everyone intermingled at lunch, although woe betide a Slytherin sitting at a Gryffindor table and vice versa! I tended to find Frank and sit on the Ravenclaw table with him and Jack.

I don't recall much of the first week to be honest. Just brief intense feelings and colours, sounds and smells which were so different from home. The lessons were like nothing what I was used to in Primary school, although the teaching method was similar. From Slytherin it was only myself and Jack had no experience of magic or wand waving, which further cemented our friendship as we had the same worries and quandaries about it, although I later learnt that about a third of the first year students were the same so I didn't feel too isolated.

It was embarrassing to be shown up in the first lesson by Potter and Black loudly boasting how they had mastered whatever incantation or lesson we were learning when they were five (I was sure they were boasting then, and I'm certain of it now). In a roundabout way I suppose I have to thank them for being so obnoxious as it made me all the more determined to learn as much as I could, for I was certain that if those two prats could master it I certainly could! This gave rise to my being referred to as a bookworm by my friends and associates. It also, unfortunately, gave rise to the unsavoury rumour that I knew more curses and hexes than any other student by my foes. Completely false of course, but then, when did those lot every try reason, or, god forbid... logic!

I didn't get to speak to Lily until the third day to be honest. We were both busy making new friends and although we said hello briefly in lessons we didn't want to alienate other people by being too chummy. Slytherin had most of their lessons with Gryffindor, and only a few with Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. I quickly found that I liked the lessons with Ravenclaw or Hufflepuff better, as even then Potter and Black seemed to make it their life's mission to harass Slytherins. They didn't single me out until later, suspiciously around the time when they found out just how friendly I was with Lily . Luckily it gave me a chance to know the students from those houses without the influence of Potter and Black so I managed to make a few friends from those houses. My initial friendship with Frank strengthened and I discovered I got on quite well with a Hufflepuff called Emma who enjoyed astronomy and liked talking to someone who understood Newton's laws (a lot of Purebloods seemed to pooh-pooh it, and even the people who grew up in magical households seemed to think that magic proved it was false).

Over the next few weeks Jack and I became inseparable. We were frequently seen playing football and riding my bike in tandem. I was slightly amazed when I found that I was the only one who had brought my bike, or in fact any "muggle" objects like that and the football considering the sheer number of muggle-borns attending the school. I think everyone got the impression that muggle stuff didn't work at Hogwarts or felt it would single them out. It made me popular for a brief while, both with folk who were familiar with footie and bikes and wanted a go, or with people who hadn't seen or heard of them before and were curious.

Jack and I did try and set up a five a side football team, which was successful to a greater or lesser extent, with us often getting enough people together every Sunday for a bit of a game, nothing serious, and no proper matches or teams really. It was funny teaching Frank how to kick as ball, as his first few tries resulted in some adventurous climbing and swimming to get it out of whatever unseen ditch or tree he had propelled it into. I did make other acquaintances and both Frank and Emma had their own circle of friends that I was welcomed into although I didn't know the others very well until much later.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

I made sure I wrote to Terry and Jim about Hogwarts. It was difficult knowing what to put but I tended to stick to what the castle was like and the mannerisms of the teachers, as oppose to the topics they taught. I made sure to include stories about other students and asked their advice on jokes and what areas of the castle and grounds to explore. The letters I got back always made me miss home and I tended to sit in a quiet alcove when reading them, in case anyone came across me sniffling. One day I obviously hadn't hidden myself enough as Black found me and thereafter the name of Snivellius became a favourite of theirs. After that I crawled onto the precipice outside and shuffled along the roof until found a nook. In winter I took to reading the letters in my bed with the curtains closed. The only problem with that was if any of the other lads pulled them open, either to talk or just to be a pain.

I sent letters to them and to Mam and Pa in the normal post, which meant handing the letter to Professor Slughorn to hand to professor McGonagall who took it into Hogsmead. It was a convoluted system that took twice as long as sending it by owl but it kept it "normal". It was even harder knowing what to write to them, as I didn't want to set Pa off about how freaky and unnatural magic was, but I didn't want to disappoint Mam by not saying anything. In the end I settled for telling them funny anecdotes about school life- making it as normal as possible and severely editing any direct reference to magic. I assured Pa that I had made a friend with another working class half blood lad and that the other lads and lasses I had made friends with met his standards. I told him I was keeping up with footie, asking questions about Man U and where they were in the league and updates on the matches. I even asked a Seventh year who was into photography to take a photo of a Sunday match and another of me, Jack, Frank, Lily and Emma together with the bike after having a picnic (a sandwich outside because it was a nice day) and got Professor Flitwick to charm them still. It must have been an unusual request because I was slightly deafened by his squeak of surprise for a few minutes. I got fairly regular letters back, usually in Mam's handwriting, although Pa did add postscripts with the footie scores or news about the neighbours. He was pleased by the photos I think as he wrote a longer than normal letter in response. I was constantly worried when waiting for the post, wondering if there would be some oblique reference to Pa becoming indifferent about me or if I had angered him accidentally in my last letter.

And then before I knew it, half term arrived, and I was back on the Hogwarts Express, chugging towards Spinner's end to face Mam and Pa, Terry and Jim and figure out just how much had changed and how much had stayed the same. At least the journey was made more enjoyable by Lily, Frank, Emma and Jack. Although playing gin rummy with exploding snap cards was an adventure in impromptu fire extinguishing.


	7. Chapter 7- Bonfire Night mischief

Half-term was a bit like rewinding the clock, but in a good way although Pa took a few days to thaw. I hadn't taken much back home- just my bike and my satchel with some spare clothes. I even took home some of my pocket-money to give to Pa, as I had found that I didn't really need it for anything apart from stamps.

The first night was a bit of an emotional upheaval. Mam hadn't even waited for my foot to be through the door before asking me about a dozen questions about school. As if I hadn't been keeping them fairly well updated on everything via post! So Pa reacted in his usual way. Shouted at Mam, cuffed me round the head and walked out to the pub, he didn't even have to pause to get his coat as he had it on, having picked me up from the station. Seems he had been drinking a bit more than usual of late according to Mam. At least with Pa not around I got to tell Mam about all the magical wonders without having to censor what I said. It was nice to be able to have a frank discussion with her, although she seemed put out that Jack and I were such close friends. She kept asking pointed questions about Avery, Nott and Mulciber, but I wasn't about to try and skulk after them after having befriended Jack. Not only would I look pathetic trying to suddenly be chummy with them, but they were toffs. I wasn't about to go against Pa's letter so fundamentally after he had warned me away from that very thing. Not only that, but they seemed to agree with some of the older Slytherins about the whole Purebloods are the best ethos which I found ironic as they could barely find their arse with a map. Besides, on more than one occasion they had sneered at my bike which didn't ender them to me to be honest.

It was really strange sleeping in my old bed, with the slightly lumpy mattress and musty sheets. Got a bit of a jolt when I woke up in the morning with a face full of sunlight. I was used to being in semi-darkness and the thick curtains draped round my bed at Hogwarts kept out all the light anyway. I could hear Pa snoring next door, so I decided to make myself scarce- he was always grumpy and quick to lash out when hung-over.

I went to Jim's first, and then we sauntered over to Terry's after snaffling some bread and jam from Jim's Mam. We wondered round the canals swapping stories and jokes. It wasn't too stilted and soon we fell into our usual banter and roughhousing made us feel closer. I told them of the massive grounds and how much I had explored but said it was hard thinking of good pranks to play without them, although they found the green hair dye joke hilarious as I retold it although I amended it from spiking Lucius' tea with a potion to replacing his shampoo with hair dye. They in turn told me he was a girl for having hair so long he needed shampoo and of their finest prank moment- sticking a pin to Mr Hardman's chair and the resulting yelp and jump in the middle of a boring history lesson.

I returned home via the barbers after that particular conversation. I still hadn't got round to giving Pa my pocket money so I went in and asked for a short back and sides with Terry and Jims words echoing in my head. I knew they didn't think I looked like a girl, but Potter and Black had been trying out various insulting nicknames for me and although I hated all of them the one I disliked most was the reference to my greasy long hair. It was true, which was what made it so hurtful, but the potion fumes didn't help, a lesson that we had three times a week and I couldn't afford to waste money on posh shampoo and had to make do with soap which didn't really cut it. I figured that if I went really short they couldn't accuse me of copying them which I knew they would if they could.

Pa nearly fainted when I walked in. He was sat at the kitchen table and I swear I heard his jaw hit the tabletop. Mind you I knew he approved as I got my new hair ruffled. He would have been a bit more vocal otherwise, and the ruffle would have been a slap. Mam frowned as long hair was a wizard tradition almost, but I wasn't about to make myself and easy target and this was a simple solution. The sudden lightness of my hair and the feeling of air around my head was weird for a few days though. Jim and Terry didn't say anything the next day, although they must have put two and two together.

The rest of the week was spent discussing bonfire night. They were outraged that Hogwarts didn't seem to do anything for it and insisted I build a Guy to take with me. I had a hard time insisting that I wouldn't be able to smuggle him on the train but surrendered to them asking their Pa's for old clothes for me to take. My Pa didn't have any spare and any that were too holey to wear were cut up into rags for cleaning.

Pa was furious when I walked in with my arms piled high with clothes, it took some explaining to convince him it was for a Guy and not that people had been giving us stuff out of pity or charity. Luckily he didn't escort me round to Jim and Terry's to confirm what I said. That would just have been too embarrassing.

Pa seemed to take what I said about bonfire night to heart- again I think he was trying to prove some invisible point about Wizards not being the be all and end all because he threw himself into helping me prepare for bonfire night with a passion hereto unknown! He even brought me some sparklers and a few fireworks to light. He found me an old rucksack to put them in and went about like some sort of lunatic paper loving squirrel, collecting newspaper from anywhere for me to pack out the Guy. I sent a letter to Jack and Emma asking if he wanted to celebrate bonfire night too and if they did, could they collect paper and fireworks and the like too. I was going to send a letter to Frank but felt it would just be too difficult explaining it all in a letter, which prompted me to wonder how he would get his hands on any fireworks anyway.

I managed to get a bit of a break from Pa's sudden intense interest by sleeping over at Terry's house in the back garden. His Mam wasn't happy at our campfire and we had the embarrassment of listening while Terry got yelled at, and then we had to pretend we hadn't heard. Luckily this didn't result in Terry being housebound, although we did have the joy of learning how to lay turf with his Pa. What with playing with Jim and Terry and helping Pa I didn't have time to meet up with Lily at the park, mind, I did pop round to her house half way through and ask if she wanted to join us on a bike ride, but Tuney said she was busy with her Mum doing who knows what and said she couldn't come. I sent her a letter outlining the Bonfire plans and just hoped it didn't get intercepted.

Pa dispatched me off on the train to Hogwarts with a smile on his face and told me to try and get a photo of the bonfire. He seemed to take it as a sign that I was rebelling against my wizarding roots. I was happy to let him think this as it meant we were on better terms and hopefully if I kept walking the tightrope successfully between the two worlds, I could keep both my parents relatively happy, even if they didn't like each other, hopefully they would still like me!

Lily didn't recognise me at first with my new hair doo and then she smiled and said it looked good. I felt a bit light headed at that! She had got my letter, although she said it had been tampered with- probably by Petunia. She did support the Bonfire night plans but felt we should ask a teacher for permission. Personally I was going to do it no matter what the teachers said, but pacified her by saying she could double check when she got to school. I just hoped she forgot as I seriously doubted they would approve.

It was funny watching Jack struggle onto the train with three plastic bags bulging with empty envelopes and newspaper. It did take some explained to Frank who looked mystified and more than a bit disturbed at our excitement over burning effigies, although he started to look more clued in at the mention of fireworks.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

Predictably it was this event that signified the start of many encounters with the Headmaster. I recollect how he looked deceptively jovial. In retrospect I'm sure he wore his beard long and the brightly coloured robes so that he looked like a facsimile of Father Christmas to lull you into a false sense of security. It certainly makes people underestimate him, mind you, he has the doddery old grandfather act down to a tee. It was when you looked in his eyes that you saw his true nature. Oh, I'm not exactly impartial, I will say that, but then I always felt he was unduly harsh to me and Jack and too lenient on others.

You would have thought we had done worse than organise a bonfire and set off some muggle fireworks. OK so dancing round the bonfire singing the Remember, Remember, the 5th of November rhyme could look a bit ritualistic if you weren't close enough to hear the actual words, but we were 11, what seriously dark magic could we possibly imagine, let alone conjure up?! And apparently fireworks were on the banned items list. Not only that but the teachers didn't seem to believe that our parents let us buy and bring the fireworks in, so we got making and/or stealing fireworks added to our list of transgressions. That and the ridiculous notion that we dragged other students out into a dangerous environment. Admittedly we did have a lot of spectators but we had told people to stay away and Frank had even charmed a rope to lengthen and placed it round the bonfire as a boundary ring. It wouldn't actually stop people from crossing but at least if they got singed we could say it was their own stupid fault.

Of course the fact that we were dragged up the spiral staircase by Hagrid smelling of smoke and gunpowder didn't help with the whole "we're innocent let us go argument". Nor did he... he was insisting we did it deliberately close to his hut to scare his dog. I didn't even know he had a dog... until it started to whine and then it was too little too late to be honest, but we did move the fireworks further away.

Anyway, there Frank, Jack and I stood, quite defiantly it must be said, in front of our heads of house and the Headmaster. Lily and Emma who had also helped with the festivities had managed to successfully protest their innocence, and Hagrid hadn't been able to see beyond Lily's dazzling smile and the red and gold stripes on her tie. Damn girls, they might have been useful in protesting our innocence! Flitwick managed to somehow persuade Dumbledore that as Frank had come from a Pureblood home he wouldn't be aware of muggle celebrations and had basically been strung along by us. Frank to his credit spoke up in our defence but it seemed as though the Headmaster had made up his mind that we were the guilty ringmasters by that point.

Jack and I got a dressing down, the loss of 30 house points each and three detentions with Mr Filch. We also had to write an apology to Hagrid for scaring his dog and clean up the mess the bonfire and fireworks made in addition to the detentions- which we had planned to do anyway. He also said he would write to our parents. I think he expected some sort of soulful plea and protest as he seemed a bit put out at our reminder that any letter be sent via the muggle post. He didn't seem impressed by my declaration that Pa wouldn't care and, most likely, would be glad I had taught some magical folk, muggle traditions.

With that defiant sentence ringing through the office Professor Slughorn escorted us to Slytherin house and made himself scarce. We were subsequently sent to Coventry (given the silent treatment and ignored) for two weeks, apparently losing that many points would affect the outcome of the house cup (as if!) and Malfoy had the joy of caning us in front of the whole house. Something he had been itching to do since he found out that Jack and I had been responsible for turning his hair green by putting a potion in his tea, but hadn't been able to prove without sounding like a whiny tattletale. Served him right for trying to get us to fag for him (fagging had been abolished in Hogwarts about thirty years ago... bloody posh prat)! It wasn't really allowed but what Sluggy didn't know he couldn't do anything about and we weren't about to tattle on our house mates, even if Malfoy was a pompous twit.

Professor Slughorn took great pains to explain to me why making toffee in my cauldron had been a bad idea during the next potions lesson, and advised I could dwell on it more carefully when scrubbing my Cauldron clean over a fire. Apparently you needed the pores of the cauldron to be open so that you could get all the impurities out. Bloody toffee. Luckily hot water and a wiry scrubbing brush seemed to do the trick. After that I made sure to go to the elves to get their help in what pots I needed and how to make it (the toffee had been unsuccessful anyway as I had guessed the measurements. I seemed to have an innate skill in doing that in potions, but not apparently in cooking.)

Anyway, I sent off a letter to Pa with a photo enclosed and stated that it had all gone well up until the end, and that I looked forward to being sent a Poppy for Remembrance Day (which was also not celebrated at Hogwarts). Jack and I had been boycotting older muggle-borns students from all houses with requests for ideas and spells that would sound a bell at 11 O'clock, and then again at two minutes past. We figured it was too complicated to do anything more, not to mention too dangerous. As it was we had organised a diversion in various parts of the castle to get the Headmaster out of his office long enough that a surprisingly nice Gryffindor Prefect could let us into the Headmaster's Office and help us rig the spell for the school bells. We had also requested that everyone who knew about it stand up for two minutes and refuse to sit down, work or speak in that time.

Our zeal in the matter, I think was in part at our incense at justice being wrongly meted out in relation to Bonfire night, but also the feeling we had got from other students and houses that if you lived in the magical world you should abandon your muggle heritage, something we felt was enforced by the teachers and staff. It made me feel vindicated in what we were doing and I felt disappointed that in some small way they had proved Pa was right in his judgement of the magical world.

Unfortunately, we found out later the Dumbledore had monitoring spells on his office door and the portraits made pretty good watch dogs. We got caught but not before Adrian Thomson had managed to rig the spells. Luckily Thompson was quick at thinking on his feet and made up some nonsense about catching us egging Potter and Black on to start a fight. We got off with a mild lecture and a warning that if we did it again we would get a detention. After that it was a case of waiting until the 11th of November.

I must admit watching the fallout from that day was brilliant and resulted in some astounding compromises. Surprisingly it seemed that some of the teachers had known what was going on and had approved. More astonishingly it wasn't just the muggle born teachers, of which there were only three. Oh, detentions had been issued and then retracted left right and centre, but after it had happened and the behaviour had been explained the teachers seemed to think it was easier just to agree rather than face disruption every year. Not only that but I think it had raised some ugly confrontations and arguments from the more fanatical right-wing supporters and the left-wing which had resulted in more than one hospital admission, to St Mungo's that is! I think, looking back, that Dumbledore almost had to make compromises unless he wanted to be painted as indirectly supporting the right-wing (those who were supporters of Grindewald), as it was I think he was asked a few probing questions from the Governors (who got involved after the admissions to St Mungo's- there were some serious questions about what spells could possibly be cast that Madam Pomfrey, a very competent Medi-Witch, couldn't undo and why) and the teaching staff, which is what probably what made him negotiate.

Students who wished to take part in Remembrance Day and Remembrance Sunday would have to submit their names, but would be allowed to stand in two minutes silence on both days and wear the Poppy. We also got a compromise about Bonfire night- no students would be allowed to bring in an contraband items or build their own bonfire, but the school would build a Bonfire (no Guy sadly) and staff would spell boundary lines, etc so all the students would be safe.

Madam Pomfrey also got some more help in the infirmary from a rotation system set up by St Mungo's for the Junior Healers, Medi-Witches and Medi-Wizards. From now on there would always be one medi-person and a junior healer to assist. If it was a quiet day with nothing much happening at the school then they could go back to St Mungo's on the provision they would be 'on call' and return immediately if there was an emergency.

This also led to some interesting rumours, although no-one new any real details, it was said that a Werewolf or a Vampire that had been staying at the school was being moved to a more secure unit. These were soon dismissed as being codswallop as no student suddenly left. Mind you some teachers and the new Healers acted a bit oddly for a few months.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

Admittedly after this Jack and I got the beady eye wherever we went and Professor Slughorn had us tagged (spell) for the rest of the term so he knew where we were at all times. It was for our safety apparently. All I do know is that it seriously stopped our ability to play pranks on people as we couldn't be anywhere we shouldn't and it recorded our movements on a spelled map.

So we had to make our fun elsewhere.

It was part of what brought Lily, Emma and us boys closer together as we had to find more legitimate (and to us that equated to girly) ways of amusing ourselves. It was what got me into spell crafting as we used to have charm competitions using rocks. Whoever could transfigure or charm the most interesting thing won. It was amusing to pass the time, as we learnt how to make them sing and dance and change colour. And eventually learnt how to change their appearance into more than just a pin or a cushion. Ironically it was great for improving my transfiguration skills as well- I had trouble visualising the object- not so much in inanimate objects, but when you were expected to turn something from living to not or vice versa I struggled to know what to do with the innards. Should I focus on them or let them sort themselves out? Professor McGonagall's explanations did help but it wasn't worth the teasing I got afterwards. Transfiguration was a subject we had with the Gryffindor's.

Anyway Jack and I also started to venture further afield, usually on our bikes. Jack brought his after I had re-iterated my plans to bring mine. That and I hadn't got as much teasing as expected about it. The people who didn't approve mostly kept to themselves. The few that had taken umbrage and attempted to destroy or hide my bike had been disappointed to find that Mam had put an _anti-theft_ hex on it (I virtually had to beg) and a _return me_ spell. Emma had shown us the way to the kitchens and we used to ask the elves if we could make up a packed lunch. Funny little creatures. It used to really bother them that we didn't mind making them up ourselves, but eventually they got used to us barely batted an eyelid when we came in. I think it was a nice change for them eventually and we used to hear some of the elf gossip, it was very interesting and a good source of information if you could understand what they said through the bad grammar and high-pitched squeaking. Frank used to nab a school broom and come with us that way since he didn't have a bike and his Mother was against him having one as she "couldn't see what any self-respecting wizard would want with one". Sometimes some other boys joined us from Ravenclaw, and we slowly became better friends with Frank's circle, including Richard Hornsby and Christopher Andrews. We were still at the age where most girls had the lurgey.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

Eventually it started to snow which curtailed our exploring but brought with it whole new levels of fun. Ice men and snowmen were seen all over the grounds in various morbid arrangements, until we got told off by Professor sprout. I think she was starting to worry about our mental health and sanity. After that we stuck to the normal kind... mostly.

Our efforts to animate the snowmen really didn't turn out so well and resulted in us getting a lecture about using elements to create living objects. Apparently they become vengeful and more than a bit hard to get rid of when 'alive'. Luckily we weren't the first (or the last) and the teachers got rid of them fairly quickly.

Soon Christmas wasn't far away and the older years had a furious black market going in bringing back requested items from Hogsmead for a price. I relied heavily on Frank in terms of his knowledge of what Wizarding shops sold and managed to get Terry and Jim some sweets which just had quirky flavours and wouldn't do anything magical. I also managed to get Jim a compass as he had mentioned his old one was knackered and Terry a starter alchemy kit as he seemed to be interested in chemistry (mainly blowing things up and killing jelly babies in test tubes and Bunsen burners -they squealed apparently). I really struggled to know what to get Lily and Emma, and spent hours annoying Jack with the quandary until he threatened to shove my head down the toilet. In the end we clubbed together to get them each some makeup and nail polish which changed colour. For Frank I got a broom care kit and Jack a sneak-a-scope and a T-Rex CD I had got Pa to post me a few days before the leaving feast.

The train ride back home was mostly spent playing gobstones and hastily exchanging presents. I just hoped that everyone liked theirs, most especially Jack and Lily. I still had the quandary of what to get Mam and Pa as I had decided against giving them anything magical.


	8. Chapter 8- Christmas

Christmas was celebrated in the Snape household but in a very low key way. We couldn't afford much. Certainly no Christmas tree, that was for the posh folk at the other end of town. I used to put an old sock of Pa's up on the mantel piece and usually got some sweets, a book or magazine and a little toy, sometimes I got a colouring book and pencils as well. There _were_ times when I was little when I didn't even get that. We generally had a roast dinner with more trimmings than usual and then I had to suffer through evening church and pretend to sing the hymns.

Usually I got Mam and Pa a little handmade gift or I scraped together enough pocket money to get a little something for them. This year I wanted to give Pa something that really meant something, and Mam too. I pondered over it for absolutely ages. Hogwarts broke up for about two weeks for Christmas, a week before and a week after, so I had time to get something from the local town, or even bus into Manchester if need be. This year I hadn't really been spending my pocket-money, what with being at Hogwarts, and the left over that I gave Pa at half term he'd returned saying I'd earnt it so I got to keep it. I had shoved it under a loose floorboard under my bed where I kept other knickknacks I didn't want Mam or Pa to find, including their presents.

In the end I decided to do a bit of window-shopping with Terry and Jim to see if we could scout out something together. In the end I got Pa a new head torch and a small bike repair kit in a nifty case that strapped to his bike. Mam was more of a struggle and I ended up just getting her a small bottle of perfume as I knew she never got any unless Pa was feeling generous, which wasn't very often.

I saw a bit more of Lily this holiday. She had sought me about a bit more all term actually, despite the fact I saw more of her than normal anyway due to having the Tag on me, curtailing my rule breaking. I had a sneaking suspicion it was partly because of my new haircut which a few people had commented upon when I got back to school. Predictably Potter and Black had tried to make something of it but I just countered all their insults by insinuating they fancied me. OK, I didn't so much insinuate as just say they must fancy me because otherwise they wouldn't be so interested in how my hair felt... I might have phrased it more crudely than that. After that they left me alone about my hair- point to me!

She also liked that fact that Jack and I got on really well with Richard and Chris who she liked, she kept spouting some drivel about how our housemates were all to-be-supporters of "evil people" and how we shouldn't be friends with anyone else from our House. It was that day in the park all over again. Jack and I just ignored her for the most part. It was easier than setting her right. We had tried to reason with her but she didn't want to listen. She seemed to think that when Mulciber and Avery cast something at the Gryffindor's it was automatically dark, especially if someone got hurt accidentally. It really frustrated me that she was so blinkered in her view of the world. I was used to shades of grey. I had lived in them for long enough, even though things were better now in the Snape household. I understood that Mam and Pa didn't love each other. I didn't know why they stayed together actually. I also understood that Pa was scared of magic, or thought it was just against nature or something and that came out as anger towards me and Mam. I knew that stealing was wrong, but when you were starving and had to choose between keeping warm or being fed it was easy to steal so you didn't starve, or nip over to the local woods or nearest garden with a saw to get some wood for the fire. To be honest, even though Pa gave me a beating whenever I stole, he never looked surprised or particularly disappointed and we never returned it. Pa even warned me away from Coppers, not that I needed telling. Once, they dragged me back home after accusing me of loitering near Lily's house. They insinuated I was casing the joint and would have kicked something. They didn't believe I was waiting for a friend.

The amount of miles me and Jack were biking each day on hard terrain had filled out my stovepipe look with some muscle. It also meant I could outrun most of the boys in my year, which had led to some sudden fleeting admiration from the girls and not just Lily and Emma, who knew I was fairly athletic anyway despite my bookish look.

However, Lilly's unexpected attentiveness did have a downside...it had led to a suspicious increase in Potter, Black, Pettigrew and Lupin targeting just me as oppose to all my year mates. It was also the reason I was trying harder to be more social with others, not just Jack, as I knew they would target me less if I was with Frank and his mates. Oddly enough if I was with just Emma or Lily it seemed to encourage them. Mind you Lily's attitude didn't help. I saw her hiding a laugh when I got covered in green goo that sang "I'm a snake of Slytherin dungeons" to the tune of We Three Kings of Orient Are, a few days before the leaving feast. She told us_ all_ off! As if I somehow _encouraged_ them to cover me in goo! I got angry at her then. I think that and the embarrassment at seeing Black smirk at me tipped me over the edge. I ended up saying, in full view of those four idiots mind, that if she found it funny she wasn't a good friend and she could hang around with Potter and Black. It was nice to see her look a bit shocked. She was use to me just putting up with her whims. It was also nice seeing Potters gutted face when she blew him off to storm after me. I stomped off to Flitwick who could be counted on to remove anything like that with minimal smirking or laughter. Sometimes he would even show me the spell and wand movement and point me to the book that had the spell in.

I met up with Terry and Jim on Christmas Eve and swapped presents. It wasn't snowing sadly so we made do with splashing each other with the puddles as we trudged home from the park. We were teasing Jim who still believed in Father Christmas. Terry had stopped believing a few years ago, and as for me...well I always knew it was Mam and Pa and they never said otherwise.

The next day went surprisingly well. I woke up excited... I may not believe in Father Christmas but I always got presents! It was always a good day anyway and Mam and Pa declared cease fire for the day. Not hitting, yelling or snippy comments were allowed. It was also the day I was allowed into Mam and Pa's bedroom without getting something thrown at me. I could even sit on the end of their bed under the covers as Mam and Pa exchanged gifts and I unpacked my sock.

I remember that Christmas vividly. I even have the presents from that day safely tucked away to this day. I recall waking up with butterflies in my stomach, hoping that they liked their gifts and wondering what they had got me. I tiptoed across to their room at a ridiculously early time and gently knocked on their bedroom door. Pressing an ear against the cold wood, listening for murmured permission to enter, jiggling up and down, my hands touching the door handle lightly, ready to open it at the faintest whisper or grunt of approval.

Disappointingly there was no answer so I crept back to my bed and cracked open a book to read. I'd give it half an hour and try again. I couldn't get absorbed in my book. It didn't help that it was much-loved and I knew the plot off by heart. I kept glancing at the clock. At quarter to I retraced my steps and went through the same motions again... and had the same response. Damn parents! Back to bed I plodded until a particularly loud creak from a floorboard shattered the silence and with it their sleep, or at least that's what the bellow of "stop creeping about and get in here" from Pa signified.

I was too happy to be put off by the grumpy response and bounded in there after getting their presents from under my bed under the floorboard. I left the presents from school in my bag. I didn't want to test Mam and Pa's tempers by opening magical presents in front of them. I entered with a curious glance around. Not that the room had changed from last year but somewhere forbidden is always interesting no matter how boring it is. Same old metal framed bed, battered dresser and wardrobe with the funny handle that looked like something out of Narnia. I bounced slightly on the end of the bed but knew not to push my look when I got a scowl from Pa.

Usually I would have just pushed their presents at them and sit back to watch but this time I gave them their presents to them carefully and in turn. I gave Pa his first. I felt sick to my stomach. He opened it with agonising slowness. I think he was a bit surprised I had bothered to get something I knew he needed and would appreciate. We weren't rich enough to give each other needless treats or frivolities yet. He put his head torch on in bed and said that we could attach the repair kit to his bike later after breakfast. I gave Mam hers next. She seemed pleased by the perfume; although I think she had been looking forward to something magical. I wasn't stupid enough to incur Pa's wrath that way. I would get her something from Hogsmead for her birthday. Then it was my turn.

I was disappointed with my sock- it was very thin. A few sweets and that was it. Not even a toy although I supposed I was getting a bit old for that sort of thing. I was too busy trying to blink back tears and choke out a thank you to take notice of Pa getting out a bulky package with a smaller card on top. I automatically grasped it when it was tossed in front of me though. Pa was definitely amused by my confused face. The bulky item was soft and squishy. I didn't have the slightest inkling of what it was when I open it. Pa was undeniably pleased at my yelp of joy and the subsequent tussle to get the Man U jersey over my pyjamas. Mam just rolled her eyes. The next card was even better- two tickets to see a game in February! At my excitement and monologue about it being the best present ever and could I go and show Terry and Jim and write to Jack, Pa pulled me into a one-armed hug. I hugged him back.

Most of the day was spent playing footie in the street with Pa while Mam cooked dinner. Some of the other lads in the street joined in and we managed a good game before Mam called us in. I made the most of it while I could. It was nice having Mam and Pa act like they got on. I open Terry and Jim's presents. Terry had got me some comics and Jim had given me a spud gun and a make your own aeroplane kit.

The afternoon was spent chopping wood for the fire and taking a walk round the canal. Pa got out his bike and we twiddled about with screws until the repair kit was on the cross bar. After that we went on a bike ride together, just him and me. It was really nice. I was astonished when he asked about school. He never normally brought up the subject other than briefly when I came home to ask how I was getting on and checking I had made friends and I wasn't getting too odd.

I told him about the four idiots in Gryffindor and how they wouldn't stop picking on the Slytherins because of some ancient grudge and how I had become target number one because I was friends with Lily. How I was fed up with the teachers constantly looking out for me and Jack and criticising any little thing we did wrong after the Bonfire Night fiasco, tagging us and giving us detentions instead of just taking points. I also told him about the caning from Malfoy and how the school had pompous upper class pricks who thought I was beneath them, particularly the few who were hung up about "blood lines". I told him about the mini-war we had going on with Nott, Avery and Mulciber but at the moment it was pretty much stalemate as the dorm was off-limits. All of us wanted to be able to sleep without worrying about what had been done to us in the night and the other three boys in the dorm claimed it was no man's land so unless we wanted to two-pronged war we kept our sleeping quarters as neutral ground.

I told him about the secret passages and buildings me and Jack had found on the grounds which went on for miles and how I could outrun most of the boys in my year and some in the year above. We planned to go camping when the weather got warmer in spring. How I had beaten Frank, who was burley and tall in a wrestling match, even though Professor McGonagall had taken points because she thought we were really fighting and for "behaviour unbecoming of a Hogwarts student". I also told him about Richard and Chris and how I was making more friends with other boys from different houses from lots of different backgrounds, which he seemed pleased about. Even though Richard was a toff he was from an all muggle household.

I told him about Emma and how I liked astronomy as well as potions but thought Divination was pointless. I revealed Jack and I had turned part of our bathroom into a lab, and were experimenting using the little chemistry kit I brought before going to Hogwarts. When I got back I was hoping our blue sludge had turned into white crystal shards. I confided in him that the Wizarding world was weird and I felt I had a lot to learn, which made me worry I was spending too much time in the library reading, but if I didn't I was scared of being shown up by The Brothers Pratt. He did threaten me with the worst belting ever if I messed about with corrosive or dangerous stuff without a teacher being present. How he thought he would find out I don't know as Pa hadn't got a letter about any of the other detentions I had received, just that one from Bonfire Night.

Pa listened to all this with a surprising amount of patience and just nodded and said things here and there in response. He actually had a conversation with me about it all, even if he did make little smirks and derisive comments he still helped me sort out some problems I was having. What stuck in my mind most was how unusually sentimental Pa was being. He said he was proud I was sticking to my normal heritage and giving the magicians and toffs what for. He was amused by my descriptions of their astonished faces at some of the muggle technology, even simple stuff that had been around for ages like the fireworks, let alone the bikes, particularly Jacks, which was newer. His only advice regarding the Black and Potter were to fight them. He felt a punch on the nose would sort both of them out.

The bike ride sped by, literally and figuratively speaking and we returned home after biking 10 miles and ready for our supper. I was surprised that I had been able to keep up with Pa for the most part, but then again I had been biking up and down dale and small mountains (or so it seemed) in Scotland.

Supper was quiet but nice. I helped Mam set the table using the matching plates and told her about the same sort of stuff I had talked to Pa about. Oddly enough she echoed Pa's sentiments about not experimenting with potions on my own or even with Jack. It was bizarre having the both of them seem concerned about my welfare. Don't get me wrong, I knew they cared about me, but they hadn't seemed particularly bothered about me wondering about the neighbourhood or even what I was doing really. Either I was missing a trick and they had been keeping tabs on me without me knowing or they had suddenly grown a conscience overnight. Mind you, Pa had sent me to work at the farm after the incident with the farmer so I guess they had always been concerned about my welfare and moral compass to some degree.

Evening church was boring... correction the sermon was boring, the singing was less monotonous and if pressed I would even admit to it being enjoyable. My parents never went to church apart from once a year, which seemed hypocritical and pointless to me. If there was a God I doubt us turning up at the pearly gates saying we were hedging our bets because we weren't sure if he existed or not, would be enough to grant us entrance. The organ was cool though. When I was little Mam forced me to go to Sunday school. I snuck out and had a go on the organ when all the adults had gone for tea and cake. I was whisked away by Mam so quick you'd have sworn I was a ghost. Mam never took me again, so some good came out of it and I've always had a slight fascination with musical instruments since. Not that we could afford to buy me an instrument, let alone pay for lessons!

When we got home Mam made Pa a turkey and stuffing sandwich for his pack up to take to work tomorrow. He was on an early shift otherwise he would have nipped off to the pub for a pint with his mates. As it was we got out the cards and played gin rummy and whist for match sticks until I was ushered into bed and tucked in by Mam.

ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss—ss

With Pa being on the early shift for Boxing Day I got to sit with Mam and regal her with the more wondrous and enchanted tales of Hogwarts, which I had carefully edited out of the conversation when speaking to Pa. She could appreciate the moving paintings, the shifting staircases, the house elves and elf magic, which I recently discovered existed and was very different to human magic. I was amazed that they had their own hierarchy and structure and weren't just the indentured slaves I perceived them to be, at the mercy of their owners. They even had methods of communicating with each other outside the school, and with other elves that didn't belong to Hogwarts. I was still trying to persuade Gabby, a younger house-elf who I had forged a tenuous but warm friendship with, to teach me a bit of their magic, but with no success, although she was teaching me a bit of their language, only enough to have a brief conversation and read simple instructions. It was frowned upon by the Elders in the Kitchen but after some muttering and various meetings they let it happen. During the decision-making time Jack and Frank were a bit peeved as it meant we weren't allowed in the kitchen. I didn't find out until leaving day, when I was informed Gabby would be coming with me wherever I went, that the only reason they allowed Gabby to do anything like that was because of the Bond. It seemed that younger elves could adopt a new master or mistress if they hadn't been Bound to serve a particular family. Apparently not many Hogwarts elves had the Binding Ceremony done, as various Headmasters had forgotten over time and the elves certainly didn't encourage it, so Gabby had never been bound. The Bond couldn't be forced and it was just magic that happened. A particular elvish spell showed this odd light linking us together that proved the Bond when I queried it. I didn't have a choice to be honest, and neither did Gabby really. The Bond had been established for too long by the time I left school, to the extent that we could both feel it and could even sense vague emotions through it.

Ma scoffed a bit at the elf magic but was fascinated by everything else and loved talking about Slytherin common room and the dungeons. She asked about a lot of the extracurricular stuff but I couldn't play Quidditch yet, and chess and gobstones didn't interest me much, other than as one-off games to play with Jack, Chris, Richard, Frank, Emma and Lily. Besides I had been busy trying to get a footie team together, or at least enough people to play five-a-side with every Sunday.

I got out my presents from school to open with her as I felt it might make up for the fact that I hadn't gotten her anything magical for Christmas. She encouraged me to open Frank's first, I assume because she felt he was most likely to have got me a magical gift with unusual properties. He obviously knew me well in the relatively short space of time we had known each other because he had got me a sneak-a-scope and a battered leather book that had a list of simple but interesting potions. Jack got me a book on the history of Man U and footie tactics and a _point me_ compass because more than a few times we had got lost on our travels and my normal compass didn't work at Hogwarts. Emma had surprised me by getting me an attachment for my telescope which magnified the resolution and also highlighted and names some of the main planets and constellations, which also impressed Mam. Richard and Chris had got me magical sweets and a joke box. Lily had got me a hat and gloves as I hadn't got any and had been complaining I couldn't feel my hands after biking where I didn't having the option of shoving them in my coat pockets. After fiddling about with all of them and putting them in the room, and hiding the magical items in my rucksack I went back downstairs to play gobstones with Mam. We could play as long as we cleaned up the mess before Pa got home.

Pa came back and after that all I recall is a mixture of playing games and long games of footie with Pa and the lads on the street on the days in between Boxing Day and New Years' eve. Mam took to teaching me some magic and theory to give me a bit of a head start after my complaining about being shown up by Potter and Black. As long as Pa was at work he didn't know and we were careful to be done long before he came back. It was nice to be able to do things with Mam, since I usually didn't have much to talk to her about as she wasn't interested in footie, or my ramblings about Terry and Jim and let me know that she had no tolerance for it. It stuck me that I had grown apart from Mam a lot over the last few years. But then I didn't know many lads who were as close to their Mam as Frank was to his.

My first Christmas was lovely actually and I thing that's what stuck most in my mind, and why I remember it so vividly. When I went to bed every evening I would lie awake thinking "I must remember this" and trying to imprint it into my memory. The subsequent Christmases always resulted in some sort of argument, revelation or heartache at some point. Even if it was only the usual five-minute fall out after playing monopoly. I think all the family was trying very hard to make it a 'normal' Christmas and to see where the land lay after three months of me being away, although I suppose it was a bit less than that since I came home for half term. Regardless that Christmas is one of my best memories. The amount of Christmas presents alone, and the quality of them had been unparalleled up to now, sometimes because of finances and sometimes due to family discord. Not only that, but the thoughtful presents from my friends at Hogwarts was a symbol that they saw me as a true friend and that I was accepted for me, not just being a hanger-on or part of the group. I had expected a considerate gift from Jack, and possibly even from Frank but not from the others.


	9. Chapter 9- New Year, New Adventures

**Hi folks. There is a reference to caning near the end of this chapter. It doesn't go into any depth but thought you should know.**

**By the way... I don't own anything...lalalala, oh, except Gabby, Richard, Emma, Chris and Jack. :-)**

* * *

It was New Year that went tits up. Pa had managed to get the day off and was working a late shift the next day so they had both been having a bit of booze and were pissed up to the hilt. I was annoyed that the nice family atmosphere had been steadily deteriorating as their sobriety decreased. It was me that put my foot in it and broke the camel's back though by rudely asking why they couldn't just be normal for one bloody minute. I didn't help matters by trying to break down the back door with the coal shovel after being hauled outside by Pa to calm down. It wasn't a bright moment. Luckily, when he slammed open the door to do god knows what to me, it hit me in my face and knocked me on my arse. The broken nose and my yelp as I flew backwards and landed with a hard crack onto the cobbles seemed to cool his temper. It certainly cooled mine, I recall the all encompassing pain and that single moment of stillness before yelling blue murder. I just got dragged into the kitchen by my collar and had a bag of frozen peas and a towel pressed into my face. I couldn't stop the tears. In the end Pa had to take me to accident and emergency on his bike as it wouldn't stop bleeding and I was starting to feel faint from blood loss.

I got patched up. I don't really recall that bit as I had been unconscious by the time Pa got us to the hospital. It was strange waking up on an examination table with a tender but straight nose. Seeing as mine and Pa's story about how I got injured was obviously the same I got frowned at and sent home with some pain killers. I'd got a nasty bruise to my back but nothing else.

Mam didn't say anything as we walked in. Pa just pushed me towards the stairs. I knew the drill by now, although I wouldn't be stuck in my room for long as school started in a few days. At least I had my new footie book as well as my schoolbooks and telescope to keep me company. With Emma's present I was able to amuse myself and work through a few chapters of Astronomy. Anything to keep ahead of Potter and Blacks boasting.

I managed to sneak out the morning I was about to leave for Hogwarts to say goodbye to Terry and Jim. I can't remember the details of the train ride, apart from the warm feeling of belonging as we all found each other and swapped stories. The train rides didn't become eventful until about fifth year, when even the company of others didn't stop the Marauders from hexing me and Jack. Although I was stupid enough to retaliate, which inevitably prompted a fight between everyone in the compartment so we'd all end up getting into trouble. I think McGonagall grew accustomed to the inevitable escorted meeting on the platform with our shifty faces, mused clothing and interesting array of hexes and curses for her to remove before taking us to the Headmaster. I think we only made it unmolested a few times, and each time I saw her stood on the platform looking vaguely surprised as we sauntered past unmarked.

It was during one of these fights that Black hexed Lily who was trying to sit on the sidelines as usual and was only using defensive spells to protect herself. I must admit to being very amused by the fall out of that. Potter had always protected her to some extent before but in this instance was otherwise occupied by Jack and I. Lily suddenly had an epiphany to learn more offensive spells, although still very mild ones. The sudden turn around from, "you mustn't retaliate and it will stop" to "how do I do the Bat Bogey Hex" amused Jack no end. We would help her, after giving her some gip about her previous attitude. She had the grace to blush and act ashamed for a little while, although when harassed about her change of heart and how it proved the concept of houses having a monopoly on certain characteristics was tosh, she would still get indignant.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

I don't know how but Pa must have got permission from the Headmaster to take me out of school for the weekend to go to the football match in February. I had the shock of my life when I saw Pa standing in the middle of the Headmasters office talking with Professor Dumbledore.

I thought that I'd been called up to answer for something Black and Potter had done and was gearing up to defend myself against the injustice of it all. Well that bit me on the arse and no mistake. I was already mouthing off as I walked through the door. I didn't need escorting there, Jack and I already knew the route off by heart from anywhere in the castle despite having only been at Hogwarts for six months, which said a lot about our regard for rules and our efforts at subtlety. The Gargoyle was used to our faces and didn't even bother waiting for the password any more. Dumbledore just gestured towards Pa as I stood dumbfound in the middle of the office. It was probably my imagination but I swear to this day he looked smug. Pa was less benign and walloped me on the ear, grabbed my collar and made me apologise to the Headmaster for disrespect.

I wouldn't have minded as much if Pa would have left it at that but my behaviour seemed to really irk him. I think he thought it was a sign I was becoming conceited and insolent or something because he didn't just leave it at that! Oh no! He then turned to Professor Dumbledore and told him to let him know if he needed him to come over and teach me my manners! Damn the Floo Network for its efficiency and ability to transport magical and non magical alike because Dumbledore seemed determined to hold Pa to his word! Over the remainder of my time at Hogwarts, Pa was always notified of any serious infraction and would sometimes come through the Floo during term time to tell me off, and on one unforgettable occasion, gave me a belting in front of the Headmaster.

Unluckily for me when we floo'd home Pa told Mam what had happened so I got another telling off. I must admit that by that time my temper had cooled and I was starting to feel a bit ashamed and guilty. I _was_ starting to get a bit mouthy and had received a few detentions because I couldn't keep it shut. I must have looked suitably contrite because I was still allowed to go to the match with Pa. It did make me evaluate my behaviour a bit though and from then on I decided to try and control my temper a bit better, particularly with the threat of Pa coming to school instead of waiting until term was over! Something which eventually led to my discovery of occlumency.

The match was brilliant. It was everything I had ever dreamed it would be! It was more than a bit overwhelming! The chanting was amazing! The atmosphere was just... indescribable! I still have the ticket stub. Newcastle United Vs Manchester United. Man U were soundly trounced... 2 nil. But despite that it was still fantastic. Pa took me to the pub afterwards and ordered me a shandy and him a pint. We mainly talked about the match and the ref. Luckily we couldn't really talk about school because it was so crowded, so the incident with the Headmaster wasn't brought up.

I spent that weekend at home so I sought out Terry and Jim. We met up with a few of their mates and hung around the local shop, eventually biking it up to the local wood where they showed me their new tree house. Just bits of tarpaulin and planks hobbled together with borrowed nails and bits of string. It was exciting and adventurous but not a patch on the real secret passages at Hogwarts and only served to highlight how lucky I was going to such a posh place with acres to explore. Jack and I hadn't plucked up the courage to go into the Forbidden Forest yet but it was on our to do list when we had learnt more about possible creatures we might meet and a greater range of spells. Then we could boast of having a true adventure, like in the myths.

Jack was jealous as anything when I got back but I wasted no time in recounting the match which appeased him somewhat. Even Frank asked about it the next day although he looked baffled by some of the rules and couldn't comprehend how it had still been exciting even though Man U had not only lost, but scored nothing. I think Richard had the joy of explaining it to him in more depth, although he was more of a rugby fan. It was bizarre feeling grateful to go to school after such a nice weekend but it had finally sunk in how lucky I was being a wizard and going to school in a castle!

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

The Great Bunny Hunt was the start of a tradition between Jack, Richard, me, Lily and Emma. Frank didn't understand it, and neither did Chris and did their best to stay uninvolved, although sometimes Frank would help us enchant the Bunnies.

Emma was bemoaning the absence of her pet Rabbit around Easter... so Jack had a brain wave. We all went home for Easter hols of course, but why not play a little joke on people before hand? Chocolate Frogs could hop around... so why not chocolate bunnies... but we didn't have any chocolate bunnies and our transfiguration skills weren't that good yet, so what about paper origami bunnies? We would only have to make a few before doing the duplicating charm and animating them... and then we thought... why stop at a few bunnies? We charmed them all bright colours except for one... which was black. Emma had to find the black one. If she found the black one in a day we would smuggle in her bunny after Easter. And if she didn't... well we had made her smile and had given our ears a rest from her talk about how Flopsy was so cute and adorable and weren't the school rules about rats, cats, toads and owls only, stupid!

We actually had the help and permission of professor Flitwick, although he thought we only meant to make a few to hop around Hufflepuff and not infest the whole school. That turned out to be rather lucky because the Headmaster had us in his office for disrupting the school day. It was only Professor Flitwicks' insistence that he had been aware and given permission that stopped us from being suspended until the Easter Hols (although as there was only three days to go until the holidays so it really wouldn't have made much of a difference.)

I must admit. We were glad to get away from the teachers after that prank. What's worse is that Emma had found the back one. Jack and I had tried to get round the rule, saying that it jumping on her lap when she was reading her book because she had looked all day and had given in, didn't count as her finding it, but then her lip got all wobbly and her eyes went all big. We gave in to avoid hysterics, honestly, if she hadn't been in Hufflepuff I would have thought she was doing it deliberately to make us uncomfortable so we'd cave.

A week later, after the hols, we were in front of the Headmaster trying to persuade him that the damn rabbit was ours and that we had tried to smuggle him in. Eventually, after he contacted my Pa and Jack's to ask if we really owned a rabbit the truth came out and Emma had to return it home to her parents. Luckily Pa saw the funny side, although he wasn't happy I had lied, he didn't add anything to the three detentions and loss of house points.

In future years we contained it to Hufflepuff common room.

ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss-ss

You would have thought that our penchant for getting into trouble and doing things that we knew were against the rules would have made us good at subterfuge and espionage, but not so.

Jack and I had continued our potions experiments despite my parents warnings and in some cases our own better judgement. We had been avoiding the better known areas of the dungeon, mainly because Malfoy was always waiting to pounce on us and dole out punishment, and had found an abandoned potions classroom and store cupboard. It was small and judging by the amount of dust wasn't well-known.

I persuaded Gabby to charm a few containers for potions ingredients so they wouldn't get spoiled and to help us clean the place up. She only let us brew if she was nearby, which proved handy on a few occasions when we hadn't been able to move quick enough and she had contained the blast or vanished our cauldron to... god knows where actually, but more importantly, not around us!

It was Avery, Nott and Mulciber that proved our undoing. After the Great Bunny Hunt they left us alone, but had started tailing us after a month or so because we had been mysteriously absent from the common room. We thought we had lost them, but it turned out we had underestimated them and got into a lot of trouble as a result. They told Malfoy who of course couldn't resist telling a teacher in addition to the caning he gave us. Dear old Professor Slughorn, after expressing stupefaction over the potions we had made and our clean workroom, handed us over to the Headmaster. You have never seen a man light the Floo so quick! I knew what was coming of course, and clued Jack in who had gone alarmingly pale. I think he thought we were getting expelled.

Pa stepped through the fireplace... what happened next was not pleasant. After getting a rollicking, stating that he had told me not to brew unsupervised, he unbuckled his belt, bent me over Dumbledore's desk and gave me a sound thrashing there and then. Bloody painful on top of the caning I had received from Malfoy. Made me bawl like a little girl actually which made Pa suspicious. He drew me upright and asked why I was crying so hard. He knew from previous beatings that I was usually more stoic. Eventually I told about Malfoy. I had to after he pulled me into one of the private off shoots and pulled my trousers down. The cane marks were too obvious since he had only given me about four strokes with his belt, and I was scared he would pull me out of school if he thought it had been a teacher as he was aware of the 'no corporal punishment' rule. It wasn't so much the beating that bothered him but the hypocrisy.

Malfoy got suspended for a week and had his Head Boy Badge rescinded. We walked on egg shells around him after that. He still managed to make our lives uncomfortable in lots of little ways after he returned, but it was only for a few months. It was being in Coventry that bothered us more. In fact it took about a year for the rest of our house to thaw out a bit, and even longer before we were trusted not to blab about stuff. Luckily we had friends in other houses else we would have been really lonely.

We had planned to go camping with Frank, Richard and Chris before the year ended but put it off in the face of all that had happened. We planned to do it in September when we came back as Second years. Hopefully things would be calmer then!


End file.
